Can Makeup Artists Deduct Their Kit and Product Restocks?

Yes — your makeup kit, brushes, and the products you restock for client use are deductible business expenses, but makeup you wear personally or products you'd buy regardless of client work don't qualify.

Initial kit-building costs (foundation, palettes, brushes, sanitizing supplies) and ongoing restocks of client-use products are ordinary and necessary costs of the business, so they're fully deductible. Higher-cost items, like a professional kit case or lighting setup for on-location work, may qualify for Section 179, allowing you to deduct the full cost immediately in the year of purchase rather than depreciating it over time.

If you travel to clients for weddings or events, that mileage is deductible too, along with parking and any tolls, using either the standard mileage rate or actual vehicle expenses.

Other commonly deductible makeup artist expenses:

Client-use makeup products, brushes, and sanitizing supplies

Kit cases, ring lights, and portable mirrors

Booking platform and payment processing fees

Continuing education, technique classes, and certifications

Marketing costs (portfolio website, social media promotion)

A common mistake: artists deduct their entire product haul from a shopping trip, when only the products actually used for client services — not personal makeup — are deductible.

BossTax's free app helps separate client-use kit restocks from personal purchases, so your deductions hold up if you're ever asked to explain them.

Curious what other kit purchases and travel costs you can write off? Book a free intro call and we'll walk through it together. Click here.

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Related articles:

- Do Makeup Artists Need to Pay Quarterly Taxes?

- What Can Makeup Artists Deduct Besides Their Kit?

- Standard Mileage vs. Actual Expenses: Which Saves Makeup Artists More?